Counter



(No Model.)

B. T. HARRIS.

" COUNTER.

No. 396,815. Patented Jan. 29, 1889.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELIJAII T. HARRIS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

COUNTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 396,815, dated January 29, 1889.

Application filed October 29, 1888.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ELIJAH T. HARRIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Counters, ((Jase 3,) of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and ex act description, reference being, had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

In the construction of counters it is especially desirable that they should be built up in pieces secured together in such way that they maybe readily taken apart and moved from place to place as occasion may requlre.

Heretoforc portable counters have been made of various constructions, and the parts have been secured together by various devices.

In Letters Patent No. 117,721, granted Francis M. Bain, August 8, 187], for improvement in portable buildings, a weather-st rip is shown upon the corner of the building hollowed out on the inside to accom modate it to any required angle. This weatln-w-strip is made thick in the middle to give it strength and thinned down at the edges to make a tight joint. These weather-strips are secured to the corners by means of hook-bolts. The hooks, taking the place of the ordinary Milt-head, are thrust into theopposing edges of the sections at an angle from the rear and secured in place by a nut and washer on the outside of the weather-strip.

In Letters Patent No. 3591 25, granted John b. )unlap, February 22, 1887, a counter is shown and described having di[ferently-inelined sections placed one above the other, se-

cured together by internal and external braces conforming substan tia-ll y to the eontourof said section, the braces being secured in place by lmlts. The top is secured to the front by depending projections which fit in sockets formed in the upper portion or the upper panel of the counter-front. This method of securing the top to the counter-front has been found expensive and untrustworthy, and on this account has been practically abandoned.

My invention relates more particularly to the devices whereby the different sections of the counter are rigidly joined together and the Serial No. 289,448. (No model.)

b aces for si'lpporting the sectional front and the yokes secured to the under side of the top, which rests upon the upper edge of the front. At the different ends of the sections I provide castings which are provided with recesses adapted to receive the opposing ends of the different sections. These castings conform in shape to the outline of the front, and are secured to the ends of the sections by screws or other suitable attaching devices. In case the sections are of considerable length, I provide abraee in the center of each, this brace being preferably a casti 11 provided with arms which are inserted through the front to the rear and secured thereto by keys inserted in slots or holes provided in said arms. When the different sections are to be placed in line, end to end, the intervening casting will be provided with sockets on its different sides directly opposite. In case the dilferent sections are placed at an angle to one another, as at a corner, the sockets in the casting will be provided in proper position to receive the ends of such an gularly-placed sections. I preferal )lyconstruet the casti ngswith rounded outer faces, a vertical wing being provided upon the rear thereof, which wing comes between the endsof two adjoining sections. The rear of the wing is preferably divided and bent forward and provided with scrmv-holes, as

will be hereinafter described.

Instead of the wing I have provided arms adapted to extend backward beiwveen the sec tions or through the face of the counter to the rear when the casting used as a brace in the central portion of a section.

My invention will be readilyunderstood by reference to the accom mnying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a detail. perspectir'e view of a counter embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view showing the casting at the corner of the counter between two sections and rigidly secured thereto by screws. Fig. 3 a detail. sectional view showing the casting between opposing ends of two sections placed in line. Fig. & is a modification in which the casting at the corner is secured to the sections at the rear by a key. Fig. 5 is a view of a somewhat similar casting especially designed as a brace at the center of a long section.

Fig. I) illustrates the slot in the arm and the key placed therein. different views of the saddle.

Like parts are indicated by similar letters of reference throughout the different figures.

The upright portion or front of each section of the counter is made up of horizontal pieces placed edge to edge to give the proper shape. In Fig. 1 I have shown live such pieces. This section is supported in the position shown by the casting a, which conforms to the surface of the front. (For sectional view of casting a see Figs. 5 and 6.) To the under side of the top of the counter are attached saddles I). These saddles may be of iron, and are so placed that their slots will be in line, so as to fit over the upper edge of the front, as shown in Fig. l. The different sections of the front when placed end to end and in line may be secured together by casting e, as shown in Fig. 33. This casting c, it will be seen, is provided with a rounded front, having a neat appearance. The opposing ends (I c of two sections are inserted in sockets provided in opposite sides of this casting. Simple woodscrews, inserted from the rear projections or wings of casting a into the ends of the sections, hold the two sections together rigidly, as shown.

At each angle of the counter, as shown in Fig. 2, I provide a casting, f, with sockets adapted to receive the ends 71 of the two sections. Thus, as shown in Figs. 2 and 2-3, opposing ends of different sections may be rigidly secured together when placed .in line or at any angle desired.

Instead of the wings shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and the screws for securing the castings rigidly to the sections, simple arms. may be provided at suitable distances apart, adapted to project to the rear of the front. These arms I have illustrated in Figs. 4-, 5, and (3, and I preferably provide a slot in each arm adapted to receive the key 1'.

I jn'efm'ably use the form of casting illn strated in Fig.2 2 and I for uniting the ends of the different sections rigidly together. The casting shown in Figs. 5 and U I preferably use at the center of a long section of the front as a brace or strengthening-piece, as shown in Fig. l. The form of corner-casting shown in Fig. --l' l have used in place of the form illustrated in Fig. The top of the counter may be of any length desired with out regard to the length of the sections of the front.

My invention admits of various modifications that would readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art; and I therefore do not limit myself to the precise construction shown.

Il'avin g thus described my invention, I elai m as n cw and desire to secure by Letters latent 1. The combination, with two sections of a counterfront, of a casting provided with sockets adapted to receive the opposing ends of said sections, said casting being provided with a wing extending between the ends of Fig. 7 shows the said sections to the rear, said wing extending laterally at the rear in opposite directions and secured by screws to the ends of said sections, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. As an article of new manufacture, a counter having a front made up of pieces placed edge to edge, said front being in sec tions, the different sections being secured rigidly together by castings between the different opposing ends thereof, said castings being each provided with sockets adapted to receive said ends and with a wing extending to the rear and rigidly secured to the opposing ends of the sections, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. A device for uniting two opposing ends or sections of a counter-front together, consisting of a casting conforming to the outline of the counter and provided with sockets adaptrd to receive the said opposing ends, and a wing extending to the rear and extended in opposite directions and rigidly secured to said ends inserted in said sockets by wood-screws, substantially as and for thepurpose specified.

at. The combination, with the counter-top having saddles attached to the under side thereof, of an upright counterfront upon which said saddles rest, said front consisting of pieces placed with edges together, said piecesbeing held in place by braces or castings secured to said front, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. As an article of new manufacture, a counter consisting of the top, saddles secured thereto, said saddles being placed in'line and resting upon the upper edge of the counterfront, said counter-front being in sections, the dilferent ends of said sections being rigidlysecured togetherby castings, and a brace secured centrally to the different sections of the counfer-front, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

ll. A counter-front made up in sections, each section consisting of longitudinal pieces placed one above the other and secured or braced by a casting, (I, which conforms to the surface of the front and which is provided with arms projecting through the front, and a locking device for holding the brace-in position, in combinationwith castings c, placed between the different sections and rigidly secured thereto, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

7. A brace, (I, provided with projecting arms, said brace conforming to the outer surface of a counter-front and being secured thereto by locking devices inserted in the arms at the rear, substantially as shown and described.

In witness whereof I hereuntosubscribe my name this Bath day of October, A. D. 1888.

ELIJAII T. HARRIS. *itnesses:

GEORGE P. BARTON, ELLA EDLER. 

